Cold-Shooting WVU Falls on Saturday

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Oklahoma State forced 17 West Virginia turnovers and limited the Mountaineers to just 30.2 percent shooting in registering a 73-57 victory Saturday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown.

The victory was the 100th for coach Travis Ford at Oklahoma State.

Le’Bryan Nash and Markel Brown scored 16 points each for the 14th-ranked Cowboys, now 20-6, 10-4.

Marcus Smart added 14; Brian Williams came off the bench to tally 13 and Michael Cobbins contributed 10 in a balanced all-around scoring effort for the Cowboys.

“I have no idea what to say,” said a disappointed West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. “I’ve got no answers, absolutely no answers.”

West Virginia, now 13-14, 6-8, got 11 points off the bench from Aaric Murray and a season-high-tying 10 from Matt Humphrey, those also coming off the bench.

West Virginia had an early 15-8 lead before succumbing to Oklahoma State’s half court pressure, the Cowboys using a 19-4 run midway through the first half to turn a seven-point deficit into a seven-point lead in just a five-minute stretch.

Oklahoma State’s biggest lead was 18, 65-47, with 6:32 remaining.

“They start the second half with a dribble handoff and shoot a layup against our half court defense. I can’t explain that – it doesn’t happen,” said Huggins. “We were always flying to the ball and we just don’t.”

The Mountaineers finished the game with fewer field goals (16) than they had fouls (22) or turnovers (17).

“We come down and we have a 35 percent 3-point shooter on one side and a 16 percent 3-point shooter on the other side, they’re both open, and we throw it to the guy shooting 16 percent,” said Huggins. “Of course, instead of skipping it over to the guy who can make it, he shoots it.”

West Virginia was 16 of 53 overall from the floor, including 4 of 21 from 3.

Oklahoma State finished shooting 47.2 percent while also hitting 20 of 25 from the free throw line for 80 percent. The Cowboys outscored the Mountaineers in the paint 36-22.

“We obviously don’t score the ball well so we have to guard, we have to rebound; they got the ball with the shot clock running down, out of bounds, throw it up, and we block out absolutely no one and they tip it in at the buzzer for a basket,” said Huggins.

Today’s victory gives Oklahoma State the season sweep of West Virginia, the Cowboys knocking off the Mountaineers, 80-66, in Stillwater earlier this year.

Oklahoma State, third in the conference behind Kansas and Kansas State, is still in the hunt for the Big 12 regular season title with remaining games against TCU, Texas, Iowa State and Kansas State.

West Virginia finishes up its regular season with a Wednesday night game against Baylor at the Coliseum, two road games at Kansas and Oklahoma, and then a final home date against Iowa State on March 9.